For a large swath of the country, winter has arrived. The impact snow has on such simple tasks as getting out of your driveway and walking to the mailbox slows life to a crawl and, for many of us, makes it imperative that we get rid of that snow as quickly as possible.
You can always grab whatever shovel is on hand and start scooping, but that’s hard, slow work and will likely leave you with a lot of sore muscles and some risk of injury, particularly if you have a large area to clear.
On the other hand, hiring someone just to move snow out of your way can be expensive, though it certainly saves on time and muscle strain.
The sweet spot comes from finding a way to minimize both the cost (financial and physical) and time invested in snow removal. Here are four strategies that will help move you in the right direction.
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Know the snow removal rules in your community. Many communities have surprisingly strict rules about when snow must be removed and what surfaces must be cleared. Some communities give you just a few hours after the end of snowfall while others give you as long as 24 hours. Some areas insist on clearing snow from sidewalks, and others do not. Some communities have specific rules about cars and curb clearing, too.
Failure to follow those rules typically results in a fine, a financial burden we can all live without. Few things ruin your day financially like receiving a ticket for uncleared snow.
It pays to know the rules in your community. Know exactly what you need to clear and when you need to have it cleared. If you’re uncertain, place a call to city hall or the local police department. They can inform you of the community rules and ordinances.
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Use the right shovel for clearing snow. If you’re going to clear snow yourself, don’t rely on an ordinary garden shovel. A shovel that isn’t designed for clearing snow will slow you down and increase your risk of back injury.
An ideal snow shovel has a wide rectangular head with a long flat end. This enables you to use it to push small amounts of snow to the side of the driveway very quickly without any need to lift heavy snow. That same shovel can also be used to easily lift snow out of a tight area. Get a sturdy shovel with a metal shovel head — plastic ones might be a bit lighter, but they’re flimsy and don’t handle icy snow very well. Look for a relatively light metal shovel with a rectangular head. Having the right shovel will save you a ton of time.
Barter with neighbors. If you have a neighbor who has a snowblower and you do not, talk to that neighbor about a bartering system for snowblower use. Perhaps you could exchange summer lawn-mowing duties with that neighbor; you mow his grass in exchange for his clearing your driveway. There may be other arrangements you can make as well; a session of free babysitting might be an appealing offer.
If you both have snowblowers, another approach is to simply negotiate with a neighbor to alternate snow clearing. Simply agree to take turns clearing the sidewalks and driveways for both of you. That way, every other snowfall, you don’t even have to leave the house.
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If you invest in a snowblower, use it to recoup the cost. If you do decide to invest in a snowblower, use it. Talk to neighbors about clearing snow from their driveways in exchange for money or for other services such as summer lawn mowing or child care.
Once you’ve bought that snowblower, it’s a sunk cost. For you, the additional cost of blowing the snow off someone’s driveway and sidewalks is a bit of time and a bit of gas. But for the people you’re helping, you’re saving them a lot of labor. That has value, and many neighbors are happy to barter for snow-clearing service, which can end up saving you time, effort and even a little money.
Snow removal doesn’t have to require a choice between long, backbreaking work or an enormously expensive snowblower (or expensive fines from the city). There are ways to mitigate both the financial cost and time investment of removing snow, and you’ll quickly discover that having a smart plan for getting rid of your snow saves you both time and money.
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How to Cut the Cost (and Effort) of Winter Snow Removal originally appeared on usnews.com
